OBJECTIVE: Compare and evaluate the agreement degree of the body fat percentages of (%BF) estimated by mid-arm adipose area (%BF-ARM), the Siri triceps skinfold equation (%BF-SIRI) and the tetrapolar bioimpedance analysis (%BF-BIA) in the elderly. METHODS: A cross-sectional study, with 395 elderly residents in shelters of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Anthropometric measures were weight (W), height (H), waist circumference (WC) mid-arm circumference (ARM) and triceps skinfold (TS).It was calculated the Body Mass Index (BMI). For %BF were used the equation of Siri, apparatus RJL tetrapolar to BIA, and calculated %BF-ARM. P-value was 0.05. For correlation it was used Pearson's Coefficient (r), and for agreement, the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), with limit of 0.75. RESULTS: All Intra-class Correlation Coefficients were statistically significant. Comparing three methods, the ICC was 0,855, with 0,826-0,881 Confidence Interval (CI). All methods also presented high correlation with the anthropometric measures. The highest correlation was between body mass index and biomimpedance, r=0,935 p=0,000. Women presented the highest body fat percentual, for the three methods, with p<0.001. CONCLUSION: All %BF showed statistically significant association with the anthropometric variables, the %BF-BIA had better correlation with BMI that reflects the global body mass and with the WC that reflects the abdominal fat. Women had a higher percentage of body fat. The %BF-ARM and %BF-SIRI had good agreement between them, both reflecting measures in the upper limbs. The method used influences the estimate of percentage of body fat of the upper limbs. The mid-arm adipose area overestimated the percentage of fat in relation to the equation of Siri and BIA, and its use as an estimator of fat overall should be better studied.
Aged; Body Fat Distribution; Anthropometry; Body Composition; Nutrition Assessment; Adiposity; Skinfold Thickness; Comparative Study; Quantitative Analysis; Cross-Sectional Studies; Rio de Janeiro city; Elderly; Percentage of Body fat